Superb Ronald Hayes Pearson Sterling Silver and Black & Pink Rhodonite Pendant Necklace 1960s

Measurements: Pendant: 1.75"L x 1.5"W (4.45cm x 3.81cm) Chain: 18"L (45.72cm)

Markings: Pearson Sterling            

Weight: 18.4g

Stunning stone pendant by the renowned Ronald Hayes Pearson.  It has been professionally polished and looks almost new! Rhodonite is only found in small deposits, thus making it fairly uncommon. Rhodonite is named after the Greek word ‘rhodon’ due to its red color. The term Rhodon means rose which is very applicable given rhodonite's naturally vibrant pink to red coloring.

Ronald Hayes Pearson (1926-1996) Attended the University of Wisconsin from 1942 to 1943 and, after service in the U.S. Merchant Marine, continued his studies at the School for American Craftsmen at Alfred University from 1947 to 1948. Pearson was an extremely important figure in the 20th Century American Modernist Jewelry movement after World World II. Together with John Prip and others, Ronald Pearson opened the highly acclaimed Shop One in Rochester, New York. He together with Stanley Lechtzin, Robert Ebendorf, and Olaf Skoogfors, was a founding member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG). Works by Pearson are held in important museums including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, MoMA in New York, Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and others, as well as in numerous important private collections.